1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of casino gambling, specifically to improvements in Baccarat wagering. These embodiments may be applied to any Baccarat and Baccarat derivative games such as Mini-Baccarat, and Midi-Baccarat. This can be played in a live casino setting and also in an electronic setting via internet and via computer interface with appropriate software and algorithms.
2. Background of the Art
The most popular form of Baccarat is the punto banco Baccarat hereafter to be referred as Baccarat. The standard rules of Baccarat are known, so there is no need to inform those having ordinary skill in the art on how Baccarat is played. Baccarat is a well established casino game where using established rules, bets are placed where the object is to get closest to a point total of 9. Cards are given a point values. Cards are dealt first to the Player, then to the Banker, then to the Player and then to the Banker. There may be slight variation of rules, in various casinos but all casinos accept a natural as a point value of either 8 or 9 with the first two cards used. Furthermore, the outcomes are “Player” side win, “Banker” side win, or a “Tie”. The “Player” does not refer to the betting player, nor does the “Banker” refer to the house, but rather they are just betting choice afforded the bettor.
Prior art Baccarat suffers from certain limitations, where most commonly, the main bet payoff is 1:1 for the main bet and the only other betting option is the tie bet. While Baccarat is exciting and enjoyable to play, there lacks a bet with high payout, based on a pay table. Baccarat lacks a bet that bettors can play alongside with the main bet and pays based on an outcome of a natural. Bettors have a rooting interest for a natural to occur and this bets allows them to place a bet on either Player side Natural or a Banker side Natural. Additionally, this side bet has a higher payout then the standard even money wins for Baccarat's main bet. A need exist for improvements to allow conventional Baccarat game more variations of play, to keep player's interest from waning and keep this game profitable for casinos.
There have been other attempts to improve the game of Baccarat. U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,064, Lofink discloses a Baccarat game with side bets with much higher payouts. There is even a specific side bet where a natural tie pays 50:1. U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,801, Snow describes wagering where one of the outcomes of the side bet is a natural win with payouts, either 1:1 or 2:1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,119, Jacob focuses on side bets where a tie is the main objective. No one has addressed just a side bet based on natural occurring in baccarat, and tying a wager on the multiple combinations resulting from a natural occurrences, which are natural-natural tie, natural-natural win, natural-natural loss, and a natural appearing only on the either the Player or Banker side. The most common outcome is the natural not occurring at all.
This invention benefits the casino with positive expectation and benefits bettors with exciting betting options with larger payouts than the main bets.